Under That Unforgiving Sun
by ThatUnforgivingSun
Summary: John Marston manages to escape the betrayal at Beechers Hope but is once again on the run as an outlaw. This sets forward a series of events that will define the rest of his life, however long that may be. Jack Marston is also set on his own path after these events showing a side of Jack that even he himself didnt know he was capable of. (Spoilers for Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2)
1. Dead Man Walking

_**I am sorry that this is the repost of the same story however I lost my account in a factory reset of my phone and really wanted to continue the story. Thank you for your understanding.**_

" _Now go. Git!"_

Those words echoed through the mind of John Marston, the final words he had said to his family before he sent them off. He was sure they would be the last words he would ever say.

"Give it up Marston!" Spat out the vindictive voice of Edgar Ross from the other side of the wooden barn. "You can't escape your past or the law!"

John lightly pushed the door to get a glimpse of the congregation of military soldiers and federal agents alike waiting to shoot him down. Hesitating, he gripped his revolver ready to finish what he had started many years ago. He felt a rush of anxiety fall over him as he prepared for the events that were about to take place.

John heard the silent murmurings from the body of government men outside. "You can surrender now or we can send our men in to shoot you!"

Stopping to clear his mind for a moment and feeling an impending sense of dread in his stomach John darted his eyes around the barn looking for any alternative to the inevitable tragedy that was going to occur. It was when he looked over to his left that he noticed the opened box of matches he had dropped while lighting a cigarette just before the shootout had occurred. Moving his view to the right of large wooden door he quickly noticed the cheap lantern mounted besides it on a rusty nail.

Swiftly he crouched down and grasped the matches with the tip of his fingers and then unhooked the lantern from its rusty perch as he started desperately scooting a small pile of dry hay with his boots. He silently broke the flimsy metalwork of the lamp and he placed it into the pile of hay in front of the large wooden doors.

While waiting for the kerosene to leak from punctures in the it a voice firmly yelled out. "Alright men lets round him up!" Knowing he didn't have any time to spare he quickly lit a match and flang it into the highly flammable mass of hay as he ran as fast as he could towards the back exit of the barn. The match landed on the kerosene igniting it almost instantly and the cheap lantern erupted into a ball of flames consuming the wood around it just as two soldiers burst through the door causing them to yell out in surprise.

Taking advantage of the ensuing fallout he forced himself to charge as quickly as he could only to be met with a cacophony of yelling and gunshots splitting the wood of the burning barn. Struck in the waist by a stray bullet John bellowed out in pain and almost collapsed, fueled by adrenaline however he was able to push himself over the fence of the cowpen and scrambling up the mound of earth surrounding his home and made it out of eyeshot from Beecher's Hope.

He ran as far and as fast as he could away from his home but it was somewhere between two lone trees in the middle of Beecher's Hope and Blackwater that the aftermath of his running and the adrenaline beginning to wear off that the physical repercussions of the situation caught up to him. Sensing that he was going to lose consciousness if he didnt stop soon he weakly slumped down and propped himself up against a large rock facing away from a nearby dirt trail. Feeling extreme pain in the right side of his waist he dropped his head and saw the large amount of blood being soaked up by his ranch outfit. He silently let a slurred curse as he felt himself slowly begin black out.

-Meanwhile-

Jack and Abigail could hear the mix yelling and gunshots resonating from Beecher's Hope.

"Did you hear that? Jack, we have to go back for Pa!" his Maw called out from the back of his horse.

Gripping the reigns he harshly pulled to the left, causing the horse to suddenly turn back to the direction of gunshots. It didn't take long before they were able to see the burning remains of the farmhouse. Abigail let out an anguished gasp upon seeing it. Jack quickly got off his horse and ran towards the collapsing barn.

"Jack! Get back here!" Abigail called out towards him, trying to stop him before he got too close. Not listening to his mother he ran closer to his burning home until he saw government men walking out of the front door of the house. It was then that he noticed a plume of thick smoke filling the windows of the living room. Seeing the boy the man leading the group of agents pointed at Jack before saying something he couldn't hear. Realizing the severity of the situation he quickly stopped and turned around, running back to the horse as the men started to chase him.

"They're burning down the house Maw!" Jack cried as he struggled to mount his horse. "I think they saw me!" He fumbled to grab the reins of the horse before riding back towards the small wooden arch signifying where the entrance to Beecher's Hope was. Before he was able to do so however three soldiers came down the path rapidly towards them. "Work ya damn nag!" Jack yelled out to no avail. As the men fired shots near the horse it started tossing and turning before eventually throwing Jack and Abigail off the back of it as it dashed off back into Beecher's Hope.

Letting out a groan of pain Jack tried to push himself up from the dirt only to feel a boot harshly push down on his spine, shoving his face back into the worn dirt trail. With his limited vision from turning his head he saw four pairs of hooves gallop towards him. A man dismounted the horse and walked over to Jack, standing over him.

"I guess your whole family is full of fools." said the elderly sounding voice of Edgar Ross. "You aga-" Abigail said before being cut off by the sound of her own coughing.

"I'll take the girl, you-" he said taking a break to smoke his cigar pointed at one of the men he walked out of the house with "-take the boy." Jack suddenly felt his hands and knees being restricted and bound by a thick rope.

"You won't get away with this you piece o-" Abigail was once again cut off but this time by the foot of Ross kicking her in the stomach. "Gag her too."

Jack felt himself being picked up and got a quick view of Ross once again taking a puff of his cigar before being roughly slammed down on the back end of a horse, forcing the air out of his lungs. As they started riding off Jack weakly pleaded with the man riding the horse. "Please mister I ain-" unknown to Jack the man had pulled out his revolver and hit him with the frame of the gun, knocking him out.

 _ **Please leave your opinions, criticism, and ideas relating to the story it's more appreciated than most people understand.**_


	2. Dead Man Talking

John woke up laying face up to the underside of a large wooden frame of a wagon beneath the thick gray canvas cover that spanned across it. He felt a wave of dread wash over him as he rationalized that he had been captured by the government and was being transported to be imprisoned or executed. Slowly tilting his head he attempted to assess the limited area of the wagon he could see.

He felt lightheaded and exhausted alongside an intense burning pain in his right waist from where he had been shot. struggling to maintain steady breathing he saw personal items loosely strewn around in the back. There was a framed picture of a man and a woman next to a large black trunk that had clothes loosely hanging out of the sides.

Feeling a sense of relief at being able to reasonably assume he wasn't in a government mandated or owned wagon due to the personal items he slowly but cautiously pushed himself up despite the excruciating amounts of pain it caused. It wasn't until John let out an involuntary cough that came out more akin to a wheeze that the man driving the wagon took note of him.

"You're finally awake." The man controlling the reigns handed them to the woman seated beside him and leaned himself further back into the wagon. "We're gonna get you to a doctor mister, just hang in there."

John once again let out a series of restrained coughs as he felt himself being jostled around in the wagon. "I need to…" John struggled to get the sentence out as his vision started closing into darkness but managed to muster the energy to continue "I can't go to Blackwater."

The man both concerned and perplexed by his cryptic request paused before resuming. "Well uh, we aren't going into a town im afraid, I reckon you don't have the blood to spare to make it into Blackwater but I happen to know a guy down around Quakers Cove." The man did his best to keep John engaged so that he wouldn't slip into unconsciousness once again.

"Now. What's your name?" the man asked him. Despite the injury and exhaustion he faced he was still capable of basic rational thought and knew that he had to once again had to create a false identity as he had done before to avoid the large bounty the government would put on his head. "Andrew...Morgan."

John kicked himself internally and felt a mild sense of shame at the name as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Well Mister Morgan just hold in there a little bit longer, we're nearly there."

The horses shakily pulled the wagon down the dirt slope and over to the nearby docks. The woman got off the wagon when they reached a full stop and started to walk around to the back, pulling down the hatch.

The woman put her arms out, offering to help John "Do you figure you can walk inside by yourself?" John began to push himself towards the edge of the wagon bed

"Yea I think I can just about-" He slid himself to the edge of the wagon and pushed himself off. Underestimating the physical toll the day had taken on him his legs collapsed under the weight of his body as soon as he made contact with the ground. He felt a plume of dirt rise into his face as he violently landed on his side.

She let out a surprised yelp and kneeled down to his level, saying something that he didn't focus on. He tried to push himself off the ground but was unable to muster the strength as he once again collapsed into the dirt. He felt his vision close in on him as the man and woman began to lift him by the arms.

John was once again awaken by an intense burning sensation coming from his wound. He let out a deep exhale as he swatted at the source of the pain, a short man in sophisticated but disorderly clothing pressing a damp rag against the bullet wound.

"Who the hell are you?" John slurred out at the man. Putting his arms out the stranger attempted to appease John. "Slow down, you don't need to hurt yourself again, we are nearly done."

He groggily squinted at the short man and surveyed the small cluttered structure filled to the brim with a blend of medical tools and knick knacks with no discernable use. The sky was a dark cloudy purple, indicating that a fair amount of time had passed.

"You the doctor?.." The man smiled and slowly nodded his head "Yes yes, you can call me Doctor Adams"

Deciding that he didn't have the freedom to distrust the man he chose to match his pacifistic mannerisms.

Lightly pushing John back into his original position he applied pressure to the bullet wound with a gray cloth drenched in alcohol. He winced in pain at the cloth and felt the primal urge to punch the man but abstained from causing any conflict. The doctor finished by plastering a large adhesive bandage on Johns side, further helping keep the wound closed.

The doctor took a step back after applying his finishing touches and flipped through a small book that was on a nearby shelf. John took this time to reflect on the events that had occurred as the pain started to numb. He felt as if his whole life had crashed down on him in the course of an hour. Uncle had been killed and his barn was burnt down because the federal government betraying and tried to murder him. The most impactful thought that crossed Johns mind was that he had no idea where his family had hidden out at and if they had been caught by the government. However his thoughts were cut abruptly short by Doctor Adams voice interjecting.

"That will be fifty dollars."

"Excuse me?" John was baffled at the extraordinary amount of money.

"I said that will be fi-" Dr. Adams was cut short by John replying in an aggressive voice. "I heard what you said." Taking a moment to sit up on the table John continued in a near mocking tone. "What I want to know is why you're trying to rob me in broad daylight?"

The doctor, taken aback looked at John. He tried to speak but was at a loss of words. "Well I just...I saved your life and I need a way to pay off the e-expenses." John felt cheated but saw the logic in the large price. He sighed and reached for his pouch only to realize that it was no longer on him along with the rest of his accessories.

"Where's my satchel?" John inquired, slightly alarmed that he no control over his most important and personal possessions. Doctor Adams quickly explained where the satchel had gone. "When Frank found you he said you were being robbed by some people, he never found any satchel I'm afraid."

John groaned in disappointment at the revelation, he knew that he had his money, journal, and most important to him irreplaceable photographs of his family. He slowly pushed himself upright and began to walk to the door with a slight limp he did his best to hide.

"Listen fella I can't pay you back now but I promise I'll get you your money eventually." Not replying to John the doctor walked over to a trunk and pulled out his worn hat and the holster that contained his Schofield Revolver and spoke in fake disappointment to tease John. "I suppose I could probably get my money by selling these."

John immediately lashed out again at the man. "What the hell are you doing with my stuff? You said it was stolen!" John prepared for the fight that was soon going to break out but the doctor once again quickly blurted out. "I said your satchel! Nothing about your gun and hat!" The doctor paused to gauge Johns reaction. Despite the fact that he had been shot Doctor Adams was well aware that he could still likely be pummeled by the much taller man. "It's only fair that I have some way to pay off the expenses you cost me!"

John scoffed at the remark. "Not even I would go as far to say I'm worth fifty dollars." That statement sparked the curiosity of how much his bounty would be once it was put up but he didn't have the time to ponder meaningless questions.

Doctor Adams tried to gain Johns sympathy by pleading with him. "Please, I owe some bad people a lot of money and I need to pay it off or they'll have my head! I can't keep putting money into medical expenses and not get a return. "

John attempted to defuse the situation and spoke in a much more somber voice than he had been. "I'm also in trouble with some bad people and so are some people I care very much about and I need to go find them."

There was an awkward few seconds of silence as neither man was able to figure out who should speak next. Doctor Adams rubbed his face and began to speak calmly.

"Do you have a home? Perhaps I could drop you off there so you can attend your business and we can discuss payment at a later time."

John knew that returning to Beecher's Hope would end in a shootout that he couldn't win.

"Friend, I can't explain my situation because quite frankly if I did it would put me and my family in grave danger."

Doctor Adams looked annoyed at his vague answer. "So you plan to just waltz out of here and into the dark with no means of protection right after nearly dying? I thought the bullet went through your waist not through your skull."

Stopping to think Doctor Adams sighed and hesitantly continued. " I can offer you a place to stay for the night and we can discuss your debt in exchange for helping me with a few things in the morning."

John took a moment to consider but knew he had no real choice in the matter. "I don't really have any choice but to accept. What exactly are you going to have me do?"

"I have some business you may be able to help with. I'll explain in the morning." John was intrigued by the statement but was too tired to pry for more information.

The doctor motioned for John to follow him as he lead him to the other similarly sized structure at the entrance of the docks. It was almost as cluttered as the other shack and structurally was in despair but it was still a better alternative than sleeping in the dirt. Sitting against a large wooden counter John and Doctor Adams had a little banter before John slowly beginning to doze off, finally taking a much needed rest.

 _ **I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit slow but I plan for things to start getting more interesting. Please leave your thoughts, issues, suggestions, or ideas in the comments, it is very helpful.**_


	3. From The Ashes

I'm going to try something a little different with this chapter. It's technically not essential for the main story but it is still suggested that you read it. Tell me if you like this kind of stuff or not because I can write more about people beyond John.

Jack awoke with a major headache and a wet sensation on his temple. However he was more alarmed by the fact that he also awoke on the back of the horse owned by a federal agent who kidnapped him and his mother after being sent to kill them. Although he was no longer unconscious Jack still decided to keep quiet as the last time he had spoken up the only response he was met with was the back end of a gun to his head.

After arriving at a signpost the agent controlling Jacks horse cleared his throat and began to talk.

"Is it okay if I drop behind for a little bit? I need to take a piss."

Edgar Ross scoffed at the request. "Just hurry the hell up and meet us down at Manzanita post."

Lightly pulling the reins the man turned to the left and rode down the trail and turned into a clearing in the woods as the other men began to ride off to Manzanita post. While Jack was being jostled around he felt his hands get more leeway in the rope that restrained any movement but he abstained from risking any indication that he was awake so he kept still.

The agent pulled into a secluded area and dismounted his horse and disappeared further into the trees to a nearby stream leaving Jack unsupervised.

Waiting until the he couldn't hear the man's footsteps Jack struggled to slide off the rope around his hands and slowly pushed himself down from the horse, he attempted to reach down to untie his feet but found that he couldn't untie the knot. He turned his view to the satchel slewn across the horse to find a tool to cut the rope and found an engraved knife with a dark wooden handle. Cutting the rope slowly to not make any noise he looked around, unsure of what to do with his uncertain freedom.

Jack looked at the agent to find he had decided to sit along the streamside. Jack quietly walked deeper into the trees. He crouched and pushed past the shrubbery before he was alerted by the sounds of the agent abruptly yelling out in a frantic tone.

"Where the hell is he?!"

Jack quickly backed up and pressed himself against a nearby tree brandishing the knife in his hand. The agent grabbed his weapon and yelled out in anger as he started to walk around and look into the trees of the forest.

As the agent began to mount his horse to go search further out until he heard a noise from the woods.

Jacks footing had slipped beneath him while he crouched and he had kicked over a stone that was nearby.

The agent started to walk towards the shrubbery pointing his gun in the general direction of Jack.

"I'll give you a chance to step out and surrender now or when I find you I'll just shoot you! We don't need you anyways."

As the man got increasingly closer Jack struggled to maintain steady breathing and felt the strong urge to run from the man but locked up in fear. As the man was about to pass the tree Jack was hiding behind he suddenly sprang out and impaled the man in the chest with the stolen knife.

The agent let out a pained whimper as he registered what had happened, he attempted to speak but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a steady stream of blood. Jack let the body slump to the ground in horror and he felt like throwing up. He had shot at men just around an hour beforehand at Beecher's Hope but the more personal nature of him stabbing a man and watching him die left Jack in a state of despair and disgust. He knelt down to the man and whispered, still in a state of shock.

"I'm so sorry."

He felt a strong mix emotions as he thought about the pain that his actions would cause to people close to the man but reassured himself by thinking about the threat the agent had been to Jack. He wiped his face and grabbed the man's revolver before standing up, trying to do his best to stay collected. He walked over to the clearing once again to root around through the horses satchel to grab a jar of salted offal before sitting down against a log to eat.

Jack stared blankly at the body, taking small bites of the offal. He was playing out different ways the scenario could have gone in his head when he heard a pair of horses nearby. He had no idea how much time had passed and was slightly alarmed that they might see what he had done until full panic set in when he heard the distinct voice of Edgar Ross.

Jack swiftly shot up to get on the horse but forgot the jar he had been holding. It fell to the ground and loudly shattered on the log. stepping over it he quickly began to mount the horse as he heard pairs of horses rapidly approaching nearer to him.

"I think I see him!" an agent cried out, scrambling to get the horse under control Jack began to panic.

"Take him dead or alive, we only need one!" Ross barked out.

Just as Jack pulled the reins he heard a storm of gunshots behind him, hitting nearby trees. He struggled to avoid the large trees while twisting around them to avoid getting shot. One of the men's horses violently crashed into one of the trees launching the man into the trunk. Jack also suffered stinging pain as multiple branches whacked him in the face as he blew by them.

He could hear Edgar Ross yelling orders from his horse but was unable to make out cohesive sentences over the cacophony of gunshots.

Jack was able to pull ahead after a series risky maneuvers and pulled sharply to the right. As he heard the gunshots slow down to a full stop he kept going through the forest and went down a steep hill.

He was barely able to register what had happened before he felt him and his horse being lifted and then slammed down onto the ground. Unknown to Jack there was a dip in the hill that neither he or his horse was able to see from their perspective. He felt the crushing weight of the heavy steed that was pinning his body down as he struggled to adequately breathe.

Jack thrashed beneath from beneath the beast attempting to escape. He began to kick the dirt as he pushed himself with all his strength. He finally managed to get a decent footing and pushed his upper body from beneath the horse. He had to twist his legs as he kicked them and pushed with his arms with all the strength that he had left but he managed to slide out from beneath the horse but at the cost of greatly hurting his ankles and lesser so his wrists.

After managing to escape from the beast Jack was unsure of what to do next. He decided to get as far away from Ross as he could so he grabbed the revolver and a few other small items from the horse's satchel before he began to stumble towards a nearby trail a little ways off.

He felt like he was trudging across the grass as he awkwardly hobbled due to the pain he was experiencing. Slowly working his way to the trail he saw a wagon approaching and waited for its arriva. As it approached him he called out to the woman driving the wagon.

"Please ma'am could you stop for a second?"

The woman slowed down to a stop and looked at him.

"What do you want?" She replied in a rude tone, obviously annoyed by Jack's presence.

He was put off by her rudeness but decided to ignore it.

"Would you mind letting me tag along with you until you get to a town? I need to get to a doctor or find somewhere to rest."

The woman scoffed at Jack and asked a rhetorical question in a mocking manner.

"I don't have time for people like you so why don't you move out of my way before I run you over?"

Jack was beginning to grow very impatient with the woman.

"Please. I won't cause any trouble ma'am I ju-"

The woman cut him off.

"I have important matters to attend to so if you don't step out of my way I will gladly make you."

At this point Jack was infuriated by the woman's arrogant demeanor and unwillingness to help him. Suddenly snapping, Jack grabbed the revolver and aimed it at the woman's head.

She let out a surprised shriek at the sight of the firearm.

"I would suggest getting out of the wagon right now ma'am. Believe me, I don't want to hurt you but if you won't get off I will gladly make you."

He put a special emphasis on his final words to mimic what the woman had said previously.

Putting her hands up she pleaded with Jack to not harm her as she slowly began to climb down from the wagon. Jack kept his revolver trained on her head as he climbed up onto the wooden seat. He grabbed the reins and put the revolver down as he began to ride down the trail, leaving the woman running the opposite direction.

He ignored the pain in his joints as he rode as fast as he could with no particular idea of where he wanted to go. Waves of excitement overwhelmed the feeling of guilt he felt as it fully clicked with him that he had robbed somebody, he had always been fascinated with the idea of being a gunslinger or an outlaw but he had always been scolded or punished for even mentioning or it.

Jack realized that he no longer had any leadership figures and was free to do anything he wished. His excitement was cut short when he began to think about the fact that his mother had been taken and his father had most likely been killed by the government but he quickly did his best to suppress thinking about that.

Coming up to a sign Jack was snapped back to reality as he looked at the sign. There was a nearby town but he knew that the woman would no doubt

be contacting lawmen so he decided to take a left turn off the trail to look for a place to hide the wagon Jack decided to ride into a lightly wooded area. He found a spot that had few enough trees to fit the wagon but also far enough in to not be clearly seen by anyone passing by.

He slowly climbed off of the wagon awkwardly walking to lessen the pain that applying pressure to his ankles produced. He was exhausted by all the events that had taken place in the last few hours and decided to see if there were was any food of bedding in the back. Climbing into the back of the wagon he saw the plethora of food and alcohol stored in containers. Inside a trunk Jack found a firm pillow and a small puffy blanket, clearing a small space in the back he curled up and put the blanket around him. His mind wandered as he thought about the events that had taken place and the effects that they would have on his life but before any serious plans could be made he had dozed off, finally taking a much needed rest.


	4. New Friends New Problems

"Hello? Are you still in there?" Doctor Adams loudly knocked on the wooden door to get Johns attention.

John sloppily shot up from his resting place on the floor and accidentally snorted. "Give me a second." John called out.

He rubbed his eyes and groggily stood up, looking for his belongings only to remember that they had either been stolen or were being held as collateral. He felt sun hit his face as he opened the door. Blocking the sun from his eyes he looked to see Doctor Adams waiting to his left, holding a small black bag.

"Would you be so kind as to give me my hat?" John asked. Doctor Adams smirked and shook his head.

"I made it fairly clear in our agreement that you would receive your apparel and weapons in due time."

John was irritated but accepted that he couldn't do much without being kicked out of the only source of stability he had left. He didn't have anywhere else to go in the meantime.

"Well, what do you even have in mind for me to do? I'm not exactly in a state to do much if you can't tell." He put his hand on the blood stained bandage he had on his waist.

"Well, do you know how to handle a repeater?" Adams asked. John chuckled at the question. "Yeah I would say I know the basics. What for?"

Doctor Adams motioned for John to follow him as he walked back towards the cluttered shack. As he was walking along the docks he looks at the wrecked ferry, remembering how Dutch had tried to ambush him there not even a few months prior.

After picking up a large wooden box Doctor Adams looked at John. "Do you think that you could pick up the other one? You should be able to despite your wound."

Nodding, John picked up the large wooden chest and followed the doctor as he walked toward a wagon stationed besides the dock.

"So you didn't really answer my question." John stated. "Where are we going and what are we doing?"

Doctor Adams loaded the crate onto the back of the wagon before responding. "Sorry about that. We're just headed down to Thieves Landing to pay off some debt I owe and considering they aren't the most reputable of people I think some protection would be appropriate."

Climbing aboard the wagon Adams pulled out a Carbine Repeater stashed behind the seat of the wagon and handed it to John who had seated himself next to him.

They began their descent in silence until Doctor Adams began to speak. "So, what's your name?" John hesitated, trying to remember the name he had come up with previously when conversing with the man who took him to the doctor.

"Andrew...Morgan." He had said it with a noticeable pause between the words as he internally scrambled to remember what he had chosen. Looking at him suspiciously Adams continued further with his questioning. "So what line of work are you in Mister Morgan?"

"I'm work on a ranch not too far from here.." John answered semi truthfully, happy that he didn't have to lie about quite everything he said.

"Truthfully, I find that a bit hard to believe."

John turned his head to meet Adams, although he was still watching the trail. "Excuse me?" John said, mildly offended by the implication that he was lying however correct it may have been.

"I've seen all the bullet holes and scars you have when I was operating on you. You don't get those from ranch work and you certainly don't forget your name halfway through saying it.." Adams stated it in a matter of fact way, keeping focus on driving the wagon.

John snapped at him for the accusation. "Mister I don't want to make this any more serious than it needs to be but what information I tell you is my business and quite honestly I don't like what you're implying."

John waited a few seconds before he was met with a reply from Adams. "All I'm saying is that I don't quite buy your story and I value honesty." Doctor Adams let out a sigh and John turned his head to the right of the trail, pointing his gaze towards nearby trees. The rest of the trip was spent in an awkward silence until they neared Thieves Landing.

Doctor Adams cleared his throat as he pulled the wagon up to the warehouse nearest to the right entrance. "I just need to take the containers we loaded to that warehouse. If it sounds like I may be in trouble then don't hesitate to come to my aid."

John nodded as Adams dismounted the wagon and pulled the chest that they had loaded onto the back out and began walking behind the warehouse. He returned and once again unloaded the other box that they had taken.

A few moments after Adams disappeared behind the building John heard him yell out followed by a crashing noise. Taking that as his queue John quickly jumped off the wagon and rushed over to the source of the disturbance.

Turning the corner he was met with a man holding his hand over Adams mouth with a Double Action revolver to his chest. Noticing John the attacker pointed the revolver at him. "This doesn't concern you, move along."

John put his hands up and slowly started taking steps forward, motioning for him to lower the weapon.

"I'm afraid you're wrong there, I would suggest putting the gun down before this becomes anything more than it needs to be."

Despite his attempts the man persisted in pointing the weapon at John.

"I'm going to give you to the count of three before I sho-"

Before the man was able to finish his sentence John grabbed the barrel of the revolver and yanked it out of his hand. The man let out a surprised yell before he was hit in the head with the handle of the weapon. As the man staggered John grabbed him and pushed him over the rotting wooden fence surrounding the docks and surrounding area into swamp like mud.

"Come on, unless you want to wait around for someone to find us." John motioned for Adams to follow him. Heeding his request they swiftly hurried to the wagon, leaving Thieves Landing as fast as they came.

"What was that about?" John asked as they began to ride away from the warehouse.

"They're some friends that I owe money to and apparently they don't appreciate small payments." Adams rubbed his throat to ease the pain.

"Well they certainly don't seem like frie-" John was cut off by the noise of a gunshot. Turning around he saw multiple men on horseback riding towards the carriage firing off rounds from their rifles.

"Just keep driving the wagon i'll take care of them."

John pulled out the Carbine Repeater and took aim at the armed riders. His first shot nearly hit one of the men but narrowly missed, he winced as he felt pain in his wound from the recoil but he continued to take shots.

Firing another shot he managed to shoot one of the men in the chest, causing them to fall of their horse into the dirt. One of the attackers shot a bottle in the back of the wagon causing it to shatter, startling both of the men. After a few missed shots John once again landed one however it was on one of the riders horses, causing it to buck the man off and ride into the plains.

"Do you need any assistance?" Adams asked.

Waiting until he fired another shot to reply John responded. "I just need you to keep driving the wagon!"

After reloading the repeater John managed to hit the last of the men in the head, causing a spray of blood to shoot out from the back of the man's head.

"Are there any more of ya?!" John bellowed out, ready to fire on any more men who would try attacking the wagon.

"I think that's all of them." Adams stated, hoping John would stop.

They continued the short distance until they were at the edge of Quakers Cove. They took a few moments to regulate their breathing and recuperate their thoughts.

"Can I have my hat back now?" John jokingly asked, breaking the tension. Doctor Adams waved his hand and started to climb down from the wagon.

"Yeah I suppose you've earned that much." He chuckled before walking towards the shack that housed his supplies.

John took a second to yawn and roll his shoulders back before sliding off the side of the wagon. He strolled towards the small housing that he had spent the night at and leaned against its rickety walls, still exhausted by the events of the last few days.

Doctor Adams came out with John's hat and handed it to him. Taking the hat he promptly put it on his head before reaching for his pouch pocket only to realize he no longer had any pouches.

"Do you have a cigarette?"

Adams pulled a small carton of cigarettes out from his jacket and handing one to John after putting one in his own mouth. He took out a match and lit the two mens cigarettes before taking a deep inhale.

"So you owed those men money?" John asked, exhaling.

"Unfortunately I do. And a lot of it as well. I was trying to make a sizable payment but it turns out they won't accept anything less than the full amount." Adams sounded aggravated and bitter while talking.

"How much do you owe them?" John asked.

"Somewhere in the range of five thousand" Adams answered.

John scoffed at the number. "Jesus, no wonder you charged me so much there ain't any way you're going to be able to pay off a sum that large."

Adams sighed and took another drag of his cigarette. "No doubt."

They stood there smoking in silence until Adams finally spoke.

"You said you were searching for some people?"

John nodded. "Yea. I lost some folk that mean a lot to me and I really need to find them soon. I fear they may be in danger with some nasty people." He felt guilty that he hadn't been able to protect them better or find a place for them to hide. He desperately hoped that they hadn't been caught by the government or worse.

Adams took a second to consider before he began to speak. "I have a proposition." He looked hesitantly at John.

"I believe that we could work something out that would be mutually beneficial to both of us." Adams paused, gauging Johns reaction.

"Well what is it?" John asked. Intrigued by the offer he figured that he didn't have much to lose all things considered.

"I was thinking you could possibly stay here as a means of protection for me and I could give you a place to shelter you and search for whoever you're looking for?.." he once again awaited to see what response he would receive from the unpredictable man.

He unpropped himself from the wooden shack. "I don't see any reason to say no." John briefly shook hands with him before Adams began to speak again.

"Are you ready to get some more work done?" Adams asked. John flicked his cigarette into the water and began to follow him. Adams slowly began to walk towards the end of the docks. "I think it is appropriate to rearrange my shop into a more pleasing state of array, would you mind helping?"

"I wouldn't assume I have much of a choice? Do I?" Adams gave him a response but he was too preoccupied looking at the wrecked ferry stationed beside them to listen to what he had said.

He was given a brief rundown of how Doctor Adams wanted things sorted and they got to work. John sorted dozens of tonics that had been strewn around different places in order of size and purpose while Adams re-mounted shelves. They worked in relative silence but not through lack of trying on Adams part to strike a conversation that was not met by a similar effort on Johns part. Eventually however, they finished.

Doctor Adams took a step back to look at the state of the interior. "I think it looks fine. The structure itself is beyond repairing but it's certainly better than it was before. Nothing inspires you to clean up quite like a brooding stranger."

John walked past him to the door frame. "What's next?" Adams looked disappointed at the lack of approval but nevertheless walked outside the shack. "I'm going to head into Blackwater to sell some supply, come along."

Taking a few more steps John stopped walking forward. "I can't go to Blackwater." He knew that if he went to Blackwater a police officer or government official would almost surely be able to identify and apprehend him.

Doctor Adams looked offended at the rejected. "What do you mean you can't go? No offense but I still expect you to help me with my work in exchange for staying here."

John threw his hands up a short distance. "I don't have the time to explain it right now but I would be in a dangerous circumstance that would most likely lead to both of us being in mortal danger."

He let out a sigh of disappointment. "Occupy yourself with something productive while you're here. I'll be back sometime around dark."

"Understood." John said as he nodded.

Adams waved him off before walking towards the wagon and riding up the hill out of distance. John waited until he was out of view before he walked back into the small shack that he and Adams had rearranged. He began opening boxes and looking into compartments trying to find his holster.

Although he had no intention of running off he wanted to at least be reassured that he would still have his holster and gun returned to him at some point. Although he looked in every logical place for it he couldn't find a trace of its whereabouts.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful for John. After giving up on finding his holster he opted to clean the shack that he himself had been sleeping in closer to the shoreline although it was much less of an undertaking than the mess that was Adams. He walked along the waterline and eventually met an older man who was fishing peacefully. He struck idle conversation with John and eventually offered to lend him a spare fishing rod he had taken with him. John, grateful at the opportunity to do something remotely interesting with his free time accepted the offer and they spent a portion of the day fishing.

The men parted ways and John headed back to the dock as the sky began to turn dark shades of gray along with large puffy clouds making their way across the landscape, indicating a storm. He took a seat on one of the crates stored in the structure that had been allocated to him by Adams. He wished that he had Arthur's journal in his possession still and was disheartened by the idea that he had lost everything written inside.

Seeing that Doctor Adams had still not returned he decided to lie down in a more comfortable position on the floor than he had the previous night as he stared into the ceiling. He decided to start making plans as to what to do next but wasn't able to rationally think as he slowly began to fall asleep just as a gentle rain started pelting the roof of the building.


End file.
